The End of it All
by shopaholic90
Summary: As the title suggests, this is about the final battle between good and bad. Light and dark. Harry and Voldemort. Who will prevail? Who will be lost in the path towards liberty? Read and review!
1. Chapter 1

The End of it All 

**_Rating:_ T  
_Genre:_ Action or … you know, whatever Harry Potter is.  
_Written by:_ Gina. Moi. DON'T STEAL!  
_Disclaimer:_ I don't own any of the Harry Potter characters, or the storylines (well, okay, I own a BIT of the storyline … I did write the fic, after all!) or ... anything. They all belong to J.K. Rowling!  
_A/N:_ I've never written a full-on HP fic like this before so …go easy on me! I've mostly written ship stuff but … PLEASE READ AND REVIEW! Have some mercy!**

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**Chapter 1**

Hermione held her breath as she half-lead a crowd of a hundred people at the least behind her. She glanced from the back of Harry's head, not needing to see his face to know that there was a determined frown on his features, to Dumbledore's shining silver hair that peeked out from his cap. Worried, she turned around to look at the people behind them. There were wizards of all types following their escapade - men and women of all shapes and sizes, walking resolutely side by side towards either their victory or their death. She craned her neck to see the Weasleys not too far behind. Arthur Weasley nodded to her and gave her a shadowed smile in encouragement while Molly patted her husband's shoulders and gave her a warm, but sad look. Slightly appeased at the sight of familiar faces other than Harry and Ron, she turned back around and kept her steady pace. Harry and Dumbledore had broken into soft dialogue but it was too quiet for her to hear. She exhaled slowly, trying to let her fears escape into the wind along the way. She was not aware that she had been shaking when a warm hand clasped itself around hers, weaving it's firm fingers between her own. She looked down at the paling skin and followed the arm up to face the comforting eyes of Ron Weasley.

'You OK, Hermione?' He asked quietly, holding her hand tightly. She didn't answer, but nodded slightly. 'No, you're not. You need to work on your lying skills.'

'I wasn't aware it was considered a skill.'

'Oh, it is. We used to have competitions when we were 7 to see how many lies we could put past mum.'

'Did you win?'

'Never.' He said with a sheepish grin. 'Fred and George were always topping us off.' She looked at him with an unreadable expression and looked back down. 'Oy,' He shook her hand a little and raised her chin gently with his other hand when she refused to look up. 'Look at me.' She obliged after a few seconds. 'We'll get this.'

'Ron … '

'No, look, forget what I just said about lies … this isn't one. We're going to make it through. Do you hear me? We're going to make it through, and you'll help me write my application for jobs and you're going to be there to scold me when I don't get them because of my sloppy penmanship.' She cracked a weak smile. Encouraged by this small sign of mollification, he grinned back and shook her hand again.

'Thanks, Ron.' She said, squeezing his hand as well before looking back ahead of her. The battle was slowly coming to present.

Molly Weasley looked ahead at Harry, Hermione and Ron leading the adults through the forests. She had argued her opposition on getting the entire Order into the neck of the most dangerous woods in Britain when they weren't 100 percent sure that You-Know-Who was even there at all. She didn't want to put her children in danger. Yes, by now, she considered Harry and Hermione one of her own. They were such darling youngsters when she first met them, and look at them now.

Harry had grown to be a fine young man, serious but not neglecting what little youth he had left. He looked so brave, guiding all of them without a moment's hesitation. She felt a sting of pain in her heart knowing he had been forced to mature all too quick in his adolescence and did not get to enjoy being a child as he so deserved. Ron and Hermione had as well, being joined at each side of his hip and never seen without him. When she saw their hands interlock, she tugged Arthur's sleeve and nodded in their direction.

'Look.' She whispered with an enamored smile. 'Tsk, oh, Arthur … ' She leaned her head on him and looked at her son and his friend exchanging a moment, fighting back the tears that this may be the last time they may do so … or the last time she may witness such an exchange. Suddenly overcome by the prospect of being unable to see her Ron and the rest of the children grow up, never being able to be a grandmother … Molly cried. She cried silently but fervently, clutching her husband's robes as he wrapped his arm around her and quietly tried to console her.

'Shhh … Molly, everything will be OK … '

'Harry,' Dumbledore said in such a hushed voice Harry had to lean in a little to hear him properly. 'I realize that this may very well be the last time either of us will meet again.'

'Professor, don't say – ' Harry began, not wanting to browse the thought that Dumbledore – or he – may perish that night. But the older wizard held up a hand to cut him off.

'It may be. Tonight is going to be an epic night, and great wizards will be sacrificed for the freedom of all. I just pray … ' He sighed tiredly, running the sentence off, looking weary and not at all ready for the fight they were about to endure.

'You don't have to pray, professor.' Harry said densely. 'We're going to win. We're going to beat Voldemort and the Death Eaters are going to pay for all they did.' He didn't say that Voldemort himself would be paying the debt to society as well, because he didn't intend on allowing him to survive past that night. Personal vendetta or not, Harry would kill him. He had to.

Dumbledore did not smile, but a flicker of shaded amusement appeared in his eyes as he looked down at the unwavering young boy. 'You have become … a far greater wizard than I, Harry.' He said not unaffectionately. Harry looked up in surprise. 'It is true … I do not know of any other man or woman who has suffered quite as much as you have … and been able to endure the pain for so long. Many wizards would have given in by now, but you, my boy … you keep pushing past the obstacles in life and you have made it to this point.' He raised a wilting hand and put it on his shoulder. 'No grandfather could have asked for more.'

'Professor – ' Harry began, but was interrupted by a loud bursting noise and a flare of green light erupting from the mid forest section. The emerald mist lingered in the air above them before swiftly forming into a glooming figure of death - a skull with a serpent extending out of its mouth as it's deadly tongue.

"HARRY POTTER!" A hoarse, shrill cry erupted from the origin place of the spell. The extremity of hate and impatience behind the voice of the caller sent shivers down the spine of everyone in the crowd. All but Harry. Dumbledore looked down to see his reaction but saw only his hand where it had previously laid on top his shoulder. He looked up to see that Harry had already started a sprint for where the voice had boomed his name.

'Harry!' Dumbledore called out, shocked by his courageous, if not foolish move. Or perhaps … he mused desolately and sighed … he was not all that shocked.

Harry heard his headmaster's cry but did not bother turning back. Voldemort was waiting for him. And Harry was waiting too. He had been waiting for 7 years. He would get his revenge, no matter what.

'Harry!' Hermione gasped, staring at his quickly disappearing body in the thick of the woods. 'Ron, what do we do?'

Ron stared at Harry as well, frozen for a second. After recovering from the stun, he closed his mouth into a thin line and broke into a run after his best friend, never letting go of Hermione's hand as he did. He expected her to complain and hold him back, but surprisingly, she had caught on and began running at his side. He looked over to see her have an ambivalent look of anticipation and fear splashed on her face. She looked to her side and their eyes locked. He shook her hand and she shook it back as they slowly caught up to Harry on his run.

'What're you two doing?' He demanded between pants.

'Like we'd … let you … be an idiot … without us … ' Ron said, already exhausted by the sudden jolt of exercise. Hermione nodded and Harry lowered his head momentarily to conceal the grin that spread across his face. He had never doubted Hermione and Ron's loyalty. He never imagined that they would ever end up like the Marauders, or like any other dead-end friendship. They would be together for life. They would stick by him no matter how much Hermione thought it was hasty or thoughtless. They would keep him grounded even when his temper got out of control and his benevolence agonizingly panged them at their cores. They were his friends, and they had never let them down. They never would, and he would never allow himself to not return the favour.

'Harry!' Hermione shrieked, forcing Harry to look up. Beyond the bushes and trees a few feet from them, Voldemort lay sitting on a stone chair, devouring the fear he sensed in the air. His paper-pale eyelids hovered; halfway closing his eyes while Death Eaters had their hoods up, standing completely still. Harry halted to a stop, nearly letting Ron and Hermione crash into him. He stared unblinkingly at the bizarre sight in front of him; frozen and waiting … he wasn't sure what for …


	2. Chapter 2

**_A/N:_ Thanks to all who reviewed! I'm so happy you liked it! I can't make any guarantees on who will survive and who won't though. ;) You'll just have to wait and find out. It's a stickler isn't it?**

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Chapter 2 

The three of them froze, playing part in such a still scene that one would mistake it to be a life-sized painting.

'Harry … ' Hermione started concernedly. Harry did not answer; he stared intently at Voldemort, afraid that if he broke visual contact he would miss something vital. She frowned and glanced at Ron, silently demanding him to say something. His eyes widened and he shrugged, mouthing _I don't know!_ Her gaze became more insistent as his responded in the same way. They had to do _something_, instead of standing there like idiots, waiting for something bad to happen to them … Hermione suddenly stopped, feeling something curious glide past her leg. Her heart seemed to skip a beat as her ears grew hot. Afraid to look at what had disturbed her, she stared unblinkingly at Ron, feeling her breathing grow more rapid.

'Hermione?' Harry said distractedly, hearing her increasingly intense breaths. He forced to break sight to face his friend as she remained frozen. Her eyes darted at him and she strained herself to look down at her feet. Stifling a scream, her pupils retracted as she saw a stunningly clear set of musky green scales brush across her thigh. Ron looked and took a step back in horror as he saw what was happening. 'Hermione!' He whispered harshly and grabbed her towards him. The mid-body of the intruding serpent had disappeared.

'Nagini,' the strike of a clear voice cut through the silent air. Voldemort's eyes remained closed as he called out to his basilisk. 'Why don't you bring forth our visitors?'

No sooner had the command left his dry lips did Hermione scream as the head of a gigantic snake suddenly snapped up from the bushes, glaring it's fluorescent yellow eyes at her.

'Hermione, don't look!' Harry quickly shielded her view of it by going between them, back turned towards Nagini. With a loud hiss, its tail flew out of the leaves and smacked all three of them hard that they came stumbling into the opening and at the feet of Lord Voldemort. A few cracks of twigs being snapped in two and the rustle of crusting leaves were heard as the basilisk made it's way out of the forest and behind Voldemort's chair.

Harry and Ron struggled to their feet and helped Hermione up as she groaned quietly and held her head.

'Are you okay?' Harry asked concernedly.

'It matters not.' The icy sharp voice hissed out of Voldemort like gas escaping a cut in its titanium pill. 'Tonight, none who do not belong to the right side of Lord Voldemort will know the sensation of anything other than pain.'

'The right side, eh?' Harry said angrily, going to take a step forward but held back by Hermione, who said a hushed 'no, Harry!' He pulled his arm away and began to wrathfully approach his nemesis when Voldemort held up a hand. A few Death Eaters arrayed around the three teenagers and quickly tied ropes binding their wrists behind their back.

'Frightened, Potter?' A familiar voice snarled in Harry's ear as his hands were bound. Lucius Malfoy tightened the knots so that the harsh ropes began cutting into his wrists. He held him firm so that Harry didn't make a run for it and the two Death Eaters behind him followed the gesture. Hermione and Ron struggled against their hold but their attempts were met with laughter from Voldemort.

'Do you think, that even if you escaped the possession of Dolohov and Avery, that you could leave this clearing alive? Fools.' He turned his attention to Malfoy. 'Bring him closer.' Lucius obeyed, shoving Harry down so that he was on his knees. Overwhelmed with fury, Harry forced himself to keep his gaze down, not wanting to look up at Voldemort's sneering face. 'What's this? Harry Potter thinks he is not good enough to match eyes with Lord Voldemort?'' A bleached white hand reached over to grab Harry by the cheeks. As soon as their skins touched, Harry's scar was seared with a lightning bolt of white-hot pain. He fought to not cry out, he fought not to let the agonizing pain transmit itself into words.

'You cannot win, Potter.' Voldemort said, grabbing him tightly that his nails began to etch crescent moons into his cheeks. He pulled Harry in, who now had his eyes shut tightly to try and wrinkle the pain. 'No one can prevail against Lord Voldemort. I am everywhere. I am in your mind, in the darkest, cobweb-filled corner in your house, within the fiery pit of anger that inhabits every wizard that walks this earth. I have the loyalty of my supporters, when the great Harry Potter's impressive Ministry of Magic had so disappointingly shunned him and his proclamations that I had returned. I have the most powerful creatures that no wizard has been able to control behind me. Witness for yourself.' He released Harry, who was now gasping for air and had blanched chalk-white. Voldemort stood up and bellowed, 'The rise of the dark has awakened my allies!'

The echo of his hollow voice spread across the air like ripples on water. Hermione and Ron finally escaped their captivators and ran to Harry's side.

'Harry! Harry, are you okay?' Ron asked, staring at his face wounds. Harry tried to open his mouth to answer when all of a sudden the ground shook from underneath them. Harry looked down as the ground shook again, forcing the pebbles to jump up and down from their nestled place on the dusty soil. He looked up at the sound of trees shaking from a force behind them. The leaves on the great evergreens vibrated and swayed before halting to a stop. He could feel Ron and Hermione's unhidden trembles as they braced themselves for what would happen.

_BOOM!_ One of the 12-foot tall trees got ripped from the ground that it's notable roots stuck out like frail legs. The three of them raised their stare to see a looming grey mountain giant hoisting up the tree. It opened its crooked mouth and released an unthinkably loud roar. Hermione whimpered and covered her ears as it bared its bark-stained teeth. They were as chunky as stumps of wood and trickled with what Harry disgustedly guessed was animal blood. Without further ado, it pelted the tree with just enough force that it landed just at the border of the clearing behind them and skidded a few feet. Thumping its chest, it threw its head back and roared again. This time, birds flew from their nests with a start as several other similar roars erupted from the vast forest behind it. Harry's jaw dropped as he saw dozens of mountain giants sluggishly heading their direction.

Just when they thought it couldn't get worse, he felt the unwelcome overwhelm of stinging chill spread from his toes to the tip of his hair. Oh, no … he thought pleadingly as the wind began to blow mercilessly. No … not …

Voldemort's ear-splitting laughter rang away his thoughts as a cloud of faded black cloaks began covering the night sky. All sign of stars disappeared as the creatures of death floated down so that the whole army of Dementors hovered behind Voldemort and Nagini.

'This,' The Dark Lord's voice rang around for all to hear. 'is the beauty of what happens when the arrogance of the impure wizards blinds them from the illuminating truth. Tell me, Harry Potter. Does your pathetic battalion of mudbloods and muggle lovers compare to my stupefying army? Where is your beloved Ministry now?' Voldemort triumphantly took his wand out and pointed it at Harry's forehead. 'Where is your magnificent, unbeatable Dumbledore when you are about to taste the sweet savour of death?'

When Molly saw the three run into the depth of the forest, she gasped so fervently that Arthur was afraid she would have the wind knocked out of her. Before he knew it, his wife had fought past the bodies in her way to get to Dumbledore.

'Albus!' She said in a high voice, eyes glassy and large as china plates. 'We need to follow them! Walking isn't doing us any good!' Long gone were her fears of approaching the unknown. All she knew and cared about were Harry, Ron and Hermione and what they were getting into.

'No … no.' Dumbledore said before straightening. He stopped and turned around and Molly stepped back into the crowd. Mutters immediately blossomed, heads cocking and turning to each other while whispering queries.

'My friends,' The aging wizard's still powerful voice projected across the heads. All grew silent and looked ahead as he continued. 'I know I have asked you all to come on behalf of Harry and myself. I had requested that you remember what this boy had undergone as an infant, and the tragedy of his life.' He paused and peered over his moon-shaped spectacles. 'I ask all of you now to forget all of these requisitions.' The crowd began to murmur among themselves again.

'… Has he lost it? …'

' … He wants us to turn back now? …'

' … Dumbledore's had one too many cockroach clusters … '

Albus raised both hands to silence the crowd again. 'I ask of you now … to think of everyone. I ask, no, I _beg_ that you think of your spouses, your mothers and fathers, your co-workers, your neighbours. The future of your children.' The group lay dead silent, allowing his words to soak in. 'I realize that many of you will be lost on this day. Many of you will not be able to live to see the end of the battle and the beginning of the unknown tomorrow. If you are not willing to take the risk of your own lives, I bid you to leave right now.' Not one body stirred. 'And this … this fact alone makes us paramount. I am thankful to have been graced by all of your presences. Let it be said that a great battle was fought tonight, and let history remember, for once, all those brave souls who participated it. _Are you all ready?_' The last question boomed into everyone's ears.

The crowd roared in response, holding up their wands and punching the air. They were ready, they were ready to win and they were ready to get their world back. Their cheer was cut off as they experienced what seemed to be a tiny earthquake. People latched onto each other, wondering was causing the ruckus, but Albus remained solemn.

Ignoring the tremors, Dumbledore cried 'Let us go!' and turned around to point the direction. The crowd followed his lead and ran the same path that Harry, Hermione and Ron had ran, wands still in the air. Albus stopped Mrs. Weasley from running with them. 'Oh, and Molly.' He said kindly. She looked at him questioningly. 'I would very much like a cup of tea after this, if it's not too much trouble.'


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3 

Harry furiously glared past the wand tip that was pointing at his scar and felt his nostrils flare in his struggling attempt to not jump on Voldemort and strangle him. He did not want to just kneel before him, asking for an unforgivable curse to blow him apart.

'Tom,' Albus Dumbledore's voice rumbled around the clearing. Voldemort's eyes immediately looked up and around, showing a barely visible glint of fear in his eyes.

'Dumbledore!' He shouted furiously, standing up and forgetting about Harry. 'Do not play your silly invisible games with me! Show yourself!'

Harry watched with small satisfaction as Voldemort spun around, clearly frustrated by the mocking that Dumbledore had begun. He suddenly felt something touch his hands and his bindings. He began to turn his head to look at what was happening when Hermione's voice hissed, 'Don't move!' and she had quickly turned his head back to look forward again with her free hands.

'What are you doing?' Harry whispered from the corner of his mouth.

'Untying you, what do you think?' Ron answered irritably, his back towards him. Their wrists were bound at the back, so he had to turn around to work through the loops. 'Bloody gits made at least a dozen knots … like some ruddy 5 year olds …'

'DUMBLEDORE,' Voldemort roared, looking very displeased indeed. 'ARE YOU GOING TO HIDE BEHIND YOUR CLOAK OR FACE ME LIKE A MAN?' There was a demanding pause, then Dumbledore appeared with his wand at Voldemort's throat, not at all looking like the moderately cheerful and thoughtful Headmaster Harry was so used to seeing. His eyes were vacant, his lips in a tight line behind his pale white beard, and his body held up high and confident. Voldemort blinked, unmoving, and eyeing his wand with almost glee.

'You can't kill me, Dumbledore.' He said, 'You know you can't. Nobody can kill me. I am perpetual. As long as there are mudbloods to be killed, I will live.'

'Almost done … ' Ron muttered, hands growing sweaty. 'Just got one left …'

'Nothing to say? My, my, wonders never cease. I would have thought that you would have said something disgustingly noble by now. "Tom, it's not too late. You can change this, the battle does not have to happen." Well, "professor", I am afraid you have – '

'Please, Tom.' Albus said with a sigh, 'I have no intention of … what was it that you said? Going "noble"? I have had yet to say two sentences and you are already putting words in my mouth. I would very much just like for this to end. That is all an old man can ever hope for - the extinction to suffering and pain.'

Harry suddenly felt his bounds loosen and his painfully swollen wrists tasting the air again. He shook the ropes off and did not hesitate to slowly reach into his back pocket to grab his wand. If Dumbledore could just keep stalling, Harry could quickly say the Avada Kedavra curse before anyone had to get hurt …

Voldemort cackled at Dumbledore's response and glared at the aging wizard. 'You will find the end sooner than you think, I can assure you that.' He took a sharp intake of breath as he suddenly felt another wand tip touch his back. He raised his hand once again as his Death Eaters began to close in. 'No.'

Harry glared daggers to the back of Voldemort's head as he pressed his wand tip further into his robe and deathly skin. He would say the curse, he just needed to focus … one wrong move and it could end with dire consequences …

Lord Voldemort started laughing once again at Harry's pause and took the moment to look at Dumbledore. 'Great wizards do not hesitate, Dumbledore.' And with a small pop, he disappeared and reappeared behind Avery, Dolohov and Malfoy. They stood still, looking unsure of what to do. Voldemort's lips curled into a malicious smile.

'Kill them.'

Arthur Weasley struggled past the running crowd, fighting his way to the lead. His son was out there, his _son_ … Harry … Hermione. Pushing his glasses to the bridge of his nose, Arthur braced himself for what came next. Whatever it may be, whatever fate pushed in their way.

'KEEP MOVING!' He shouted encouragingly to the others, who still had their wands energetically waving in the air. Without a moment's hesitation, he and a hundred others burst out of the bushes and into the clearing just as they all heard Lord Voldemort instruct his Death Eaters to kill Harry, Hermione, Ron and … was that Dumbledore?

'AAGGGHHH!' He yelled as Lucius Malfoy began rounding on his youngest son. He ran over and punched him square across the jaw as Malfoy reached over to grab Ron's arm. Not expecting a blow, Lucius staggered and fell to the floor. 'Ron, are you all right?' He asked loudly, helping him up.

'Yeah … I … nice war cry, dad.' Ron said, turning around so that his father could untie him. When Arthur quickly undid his bounds, Ron shook his hands and grabbed his wand. 'I'll see you around, OK?' And before he could say a word, Ron had disappeared.

'What – ' He looked around to see where he had gone but had no chance to make any other sound as he felt a punch on the back of his skull. Falling to the ground, he shook his head to get rid of the temporary dizziness and looked up to see Lucius Malfoy looming on top of him, a dribble of blood running down his lips.

'It's just you and me now, Weasley.'

'Harry!' Hermione cried out before shrieking as a man tackled Dolohov, who had started walking in on her. She looked around before snatching her wand from the ground with a trembling hand. Eyes large and glassy, she looked around and pointed her wand at a random Death Eater that was attacking Kingsley.

'S-stupefy!' She cried out, hitting him at the side with the spell and causing him to turn stiff and fall not unlike a wooden board to the ground. Kingsley gave her a thanking nod and she looked close to fainting in response.

'Where'd he go?' Harry shouted furiously over the cries of spells and pained victims. He turned to his side to consult Dumbledore. 'Professor, WHERE DID HE GO?' But there was no sight of Dumbledore anywhere. Enraged, he roared in vehemence before finding himself in the grip of a Death Eater. Before the stranger could do any damage to him, Harry kicked his captor in the shins and writhed free of his grasp. He turned around quickly and elbowed him in the ribs, forcing him down and pointing his wand in the man's face. When he had fallen, the man's hood had forced itself past his forehead, revealing the terrified, bewildered face of Goyle's father. The bulky man stared up at him in a silent plea, almost daring him to curse him. Not feeling merciful, Harry quickly got up, wand still pointing down. Why did it have to be _Goyle_? Why could it have not been Voldemort? Angry with the man for not being his nemesis, he shouted, "_Conjunctivus!_" and speedily walked away as Goyle began writhing on the ground, howling with pain as he raised his hands to his eyes, which were now giving off a lethal sizzling sound.

Hermione walked between one-on-one fights, ducking to avoid spells from hitting her and stepping over numerous of the injured. She was not looking down, however, and she felt herself trip on a bulge in the ground and fell into the dirt with a thud. Spitting the dust out of her mouth, she shook her head and raised her gaze to see what she had tripped on.

Tonks.

After a second of staring, horrified, at Tonks' face, Hermione screamed and quickly shuffled away from the corpse. There was a small hint of a grin playing on Nymphadora's lips and her wand remained in her hand, not wanting to leave the hold of its owner. Hermione felt hot tears brimming her eyes as she raised a hand to cover her open mouth. Tonks was hit with the killing curse. She could tell by the way her eyes had turned a graying green and opened to a pit of emptiness.

'_I just wanted your intellectual opinion, Hermione,' Tonks had said to her happily, moments before their leave for the forest. 'What's a "proper" hairstyle for a battle? I was thinking something like maroon with a bit of pinky sheen in it that dropped to about _here_ … or, maybe even put it up into a ponytail … But I always thought girls who wore ponytails were a bit daft, so …'_

Tears splashed her robes and forearms as Hermione sobbed and shook uncontrollably under the impacting shock of seeing a loved one's dead body. She felt a horrible sting of dejection steal an inch of her heart, not wanting to believe that someone who had been filled with life and happiness had been so cruelly stripped of it all so soon. Cheeks glazed with tears, Hermione sniffed and slowly clambered back to Tonks, ignoring the ignition of fires and cries of pain that seared in the background. After a moment of hesitation, she reached over and delicately closed Tonks' eyes, bidding her a safe trip to heaven.

**_A/N:_ THE FIRST LOSS OF THE NIGHT! Wow! Were you guys expecting that or no? I'm hoping you didn't, because that gives more of an impact. Please review!**


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